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Thursday, January 28, 2016

Holocaust survivor Mayer Hersh retiring from public speaking

Mr Hersh has spent his adult life recounting his time in Auschwitz, to ensure the horrors are never repeated

Mayer Hersh has spent his adult life recounting his time in Auschwitz

A holocaust survivor who spent decades speaking about his
escape from ‘the worst hell on earth’ is retiring from public speaking.
Mayer Hersh has spent his adult life recounting his time in Auschwitz, to ensure the horrors are never repeated.
He is considered one of the most distinguished and inspirational figures in holocaust education in the country.
Mayers has talked to boys at The Manchester Grammar School for more than a decade, telling them of his harrowing experiences during the Second World War.
To
commemorate his years of service at the school, and to mark Holocaust
Memorial Day, a special portrait of Mayer was commissioned.
Photographer Nigel Maitland’s moving piece will now adorn the school’s walls.

The
88-year-old was just 12 when the Nazis seized him – along with his
brother Jakob – in 1940, after invading his native Poland a year
earlier.
The pair were thrown into a string of concentration camps before eventually ending up in Auschwitz three years later.
Mayer was finally freed from the camp by the Russians in 1945 – by then a ‘filthy, emaciated skeleton’ suffering from typhus.
He has been raising awareness of Europe’s darkest era ever since.
Mayer and Jakob were the only survivors of a family of eight.
Mayer now lives in Heathlands Village care home, in Prestwich, having settled in Manchester after the war.
He was handed an MBE in 2013 - nearly 70 years after the horrific events.

Andy Smith, pastoral deputy head at The Manchester
Grammar School, said: “The educational opportunity for our pupils of
listening to Mayer cannot be overestimated.
“Mayer was able to
offer our pupils an unsparing account of what it was like to be a boy in
the middle of these terrible events in European history at a very
similar age to themselves.
“Mayer’s recollections of how he spent
his youth in Nazi concentration camps remains seared in the memory of
everyone who has listened to him.
“His personal story of quiet endurance and stoicism is both deeply moving and spiritually uplifting.
“Mayer’s deep generosity, good humour and ‘old world’ courtesy made those who met him feel special.
“Many of our boys have been moved to write letters to him after hearing him speak at MGS.”http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/holocaust-survivor-mayer-hersh-retiring-10800290

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Germany bans far-right Internet platform, arrests 2

BERLIN (AP) --

The German government on Wednesday banned
a far-right Internet platform that it accused of spreading "racist,
xenophobic, anti-Semitic, homophobic and anti-Islamic content," and
federal prosecutors said two people were arrested.

The
ban on the Altermedia Deutschland platform is "a clear sign that the
rule of law doesn't allow hate crime," Interior Minister Thomas de
Maiziere said.

The prosecutors' office said
that two Germans, identified only as Jutta V. and Ralph Thomas K. in
line with German privacy rules, were arrested on suspicion of founding a
criminal organization and incitement. Three other suspects weren't
arrested.

Raids were conducted in homes in four German states and the northeastern Spanish town of Lloret de Mar.

The
two arrested people were the administrators of the Altermedia website
and therefore responsible for its content, which included banned Nazi
slogans and the denial of the Holocaust as well as incitement of
violence against foreigners, the prosecutors' office said.

The
server was located in Russia to prevent German authorities gaining
access, it added. German officials asked Russia to switch it off in the
coming days.

German security officials say
that the far right has become much more savvy in using of the Internet
and social media to push its message to a broader audience.

The
head of Germany's domestic intelligence, Hans-Georg Maassen, told
reporters Tuesday that "there is the danger of a gray zone developing
between far-right extremists, right-wing conservatives and citizen
protesters with significant potential for violence."

Saturday, January 23, 2016

One in 217 Rochdale residents is an asylum seeker

Simon Danczuk says the number of asylum
seekers placed in Rochdale is putting extra strain on housing, schools,
the NHS and council services

The Borough of Rochdale is one of only five regions in the
country where more than one in every 300 residents is an asylum seeker.

Home Office immigration statistics show one in every 217 residents in
the borough is an asylum seeker, one of the highest proportions in the
country.

Middlesbrough has the highest proportion with one in every 173 residents
an asylum seeker. Neighbouring Oldham also features in the top ten list
with one in every 360 residents an asylum seeker.

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk told Rochdale Online News: “The figures speak
for themselves. Rochdale houses over 1,000 asylum seekers, more than the
whole of the South East region put together.

“Every town and city should do its fair share when it comes to helping
vulnerable people who come to the UK seeking refuge. Sadly this is not
the case.

“Only 95 of the 326 local council areas currently house asylum seekers.
In Rochdale this puts extra strain on housing, schools, the NHS and
council services.

“It is grossly unfair for the asylum seekers who are placed in an area
which is ill-equipped to support them in such large numbers.

“I have written several times to Immigration Minister James Brokenshire,
raised the issue in Parliament and even grilled David Cameron on the
figures at Prime Minister's Questions. Despite all this, I have yet to
receive a satisfactory explanation as to why Rochdale is expected to do
so much while areas in the South do nothing.

A British sniper is being investigated
for shooting dead an Iraqi insurgent preparing to fire a rocket
propelled grenade because he did not shout a warning, according to a
pressure group representing former members of the armed forces.

The group, UK Veterans One Voice, says the unidentified soldier is the subject of an inquiry by the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT), despite preventing an attack on a British base.

The sniper's account contains no details of when or where the incident happened and could not be immediately verified.

British soldiers could be prosecuted for crimes in Iraq, according to reports

ADVERTISING

However, the dramatic tale published by UK Veterans One Voice begins with the words: “This is not fiction.”
It describes how a British base was subject to attack by an Iraqi armed
with an RPG after Friday prayers over a period of weeks. Soldiers were
told not to return fire for fear of hurting bystanders who gathered to
watch after they left the local mosque.
Then one Thursday a patrol returned without a sniper team – either by accident or design.
The following day, the same insurgent is spotted preparing to launch his weekly attack.

“As the insurgent’s finger tightened on the trigger of the RPG, a single shot cracked out,” says the account.
“The round flew almost 1200 metres across the face of the crowd missing
them safely. The RPG jumped unfired into the air and the insurgent’s
body briefly flew across the ground having been hit by a veteran of long
military service, a graduate of the Army Sniper School.”
• 'I’d rebuilt my life, I don’t want this dragged up again by unfair Iraq investigation'
The distance of the shot ruled out a shouted warning, says the pressure group.
“Duty done, eventually, the sniper returned home to the UK and a happy
civilian family life, with the respect of those who know him.”
Yet now it says the sniper is the subject of an IHAT investigation for unlawful killing. The Iraq Historic Allegations Team: The unit is investigating claims prisoners were mistreated Photo: PA
The IHAT team was set up by the Ministry of Defence in 2010 after
dozens of claims from Iraq were submitted by British lawyers.
Initially, £57 million was set aside to investigate 152 allegations of
unlawful killing and abuse. Since then the number of cases has passed
1500, provoking anger among veterans and their families who say they are
being treated unfairly after putting their lives on the line for Queen
and country.
UK Veterans One Voice is planning a series of marches next month to highlight the issue.
“Let the Government know we will not go away until full responsibility
is accepted for allowing the mis-management of persecuting and
prosecuting members of the Armed Services,” it said in a message to
supporters.
“We ask for a stop to the current trend of ‘bash a
soldier’ that is making a mint for lawyers, but ruining lives of
individuals.”
Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, recently
criticised "ambulance chasing" law firms, which he said were inhibiting
the effectiveness of British troops abroad. He told the Telegraph:
"We don’t need these ambulance-chasing British law firms. It is not
only extremely expensive but it inhibits the operational effectiveness
of our troops because they start to worry about whether they will end up
in a court or not.”

Monday, January 18, 2016

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Polish political party to launch Northern Ireland branch

Razem Ireland has no current plans to have candidates stand in Northern Ireland

07:30Wednesday 13 January 2016

A Polish political party which contested
parliamentary elections in that country last year is organising a local
branch in Northern Ireland, it has confirmed.

In a statement ‘Razem Ireland’ described itself as “an
Irish branch of the Razem Party (Together Party) in Poland” and said it
was “a social democratic political initiative” focusing on:
• Job stability and rights;
• Redistribution [of wealth] through progressive taxation;
• Opposing deregulation and privatisation;
• A progressive social agenda supporting LGBT rights and gender quotas.

Professor
Nicholas Whyte of the faculty of Social Sciences at the Ulster
University said the Polish population in Northern Ireland does not have
enough density to elect anyone on the strength of Polish votes. The two
largest Polish wards – in Ballymena and Dungannon – have only around
nine per cent Polish voters.
The party got less than four per cent
of the vote in the Polish parliamentary elections in October and did
not win a seat. But it would expect less than four per cent of the
emigrant vote as such people are less progressive than the average
Polish person; the Polish middle classes tend to be more liberal and
more financially secure and less likely to emigrate.

Party spokeswoman Justyna Mokry, 38, is the Irish coordinator for
the party. Based in Cork, she is a full-time mum, married with two
children, and previously worked for a Polish welfare charity.
“There
are too few members to stand in this election in Northern Ireland,” she
told the News Letter. “We will think about it for the future.”
In
the meantime, they aim to cooperate with other left-wing parties. There
is a prospective plan to stand for election in Dublin first.
“The party will discuss this when it meets on January 23,” she said.
It currently has no position on union with the UK.
She
acknowledges her party got only 3.9 per cent of the vote in October in
Poland but says it was a good result as the party only launched in May.
Mrs
Mokry confirmed that Polish emigrants are much less progressive than
the average Polish person, which does not bode well for her party
gaining traction among them.
“But I hope when Polish emigrants hear about what we want to do for our community they would want to cooperate with us.”
She acknowledged that “most Poles support right-wing parties” but said they will focus on Polish votes and workers’ rights.

An information stall will be on Hill Street, Newry on January 23 at
1pm. In case of bad weather it will move to the Foresters Club at
2.30pm.
PUP councillor John Kyle said: “Job security is an issue
for many workers but in my view creating a Polish political party is
unwise and could increase division rather than integration”.
The
PUP would be willing to fight for job security and would be happy to
work with any Poles who felt unjustly treated, he added.
Commentator
Alex Kane commended choice in elections but expressed concern that the
party “would hinder rather than help the integration of Polish”.
The DUP said all participation in democracy is welcome and that it was “happy to seek support right across the community”.

Saturday, January 09, 2016

'Merkel out!': PEGIDA supporters vent fury after Cologne attacks

Supporters
of anti-immigration right-wing movement PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans
Against the Islamisation of the West) rally in reaction to assaults on
women on New Year's Eve, in Cologne, Germany, Jan. 9, 2016.

Chanting
"Merkel out" and waving German flags, supporters of the xenophobic
PEGIDA movement vented their anger Saturday against migrants after a
rash of sexual assaults in the western city of Cologne.

Carrying banners and signs bearing slogans like
"Rapefugees not welcome," the far-right protesters took aim at Merkel,
accusing her of allowing migrants to running amok in Germany through her
liberal stance towards those fleeing war.

"Merkel has become a danger to our country. Merkel must go," a member of PEGIDA told the crowd, which echoed the call.

Witnesses have described the perpetrators of the
assaults in Cologne on the night of Dec. 31 as people with "North
African or Arab" appearance.

Federal police have said that a majority of the
suspects identified so far are of foreign origin, inflaming a debate
over Germany's ability to integrate the 1.1 million asylum seekers it
took in last year alone.

"These women who fell victim will have to live with
it for a long time. I feel like my freedom has been robbed from me," a
mother of four introduced as Christiane told the rally.

"That's impossible. Frau Merkel, Frau Reker, you are
women! Where is your solidarity? What are women worth in this society?"
she said, referring to Henriette Reker, who is mayor of Cologne, and
who was stabbed in the neck last October by a man with a far-right
background.

"We are the people,"chanted the crowd as they began
marching away from the train station. "Those who don't love this country
should disappear," they shouted.

Some also heckled at the line of police officers standing guard, saying "where, where, where were you on New Year's eve?"

"Nazis out"

A helicopter circled overhead, and an occasional
firecracker went off, adding to tensions as leftist demonstrators staged
a counter-protest.

Kept at bay from the PEGIDA crowd by police they chanted "Nazis raus!" (Nazis out!).

"There is nothing right about Nazi propaganda," said
a slogan on the sign held up by one protester, while another read
"Fascism is not an opinion, it is a crime".

"We are there to tell them to shut up. It is
unacceptable for PEGIDA to exploit this horrible sexual violence
perpetrated here on New Year's day and to spread their racist nonsense,"
said Emily Michels, 28.

Half a dozen Iraqi and Syrian refugees were also
part of the counter-demonstration group, with a Jordan-born woman
running their local shelter, Dana Khamis, saying they had joined in the
rally after hearing about the attacks.

"I told them that the demonstration is about women's
rights and against sexism and against facism, and they said they wanted
absolutely to be part of it," said Khamis, 27.

PEGIDA started life over a year ago as a xenophobic
Facebook group, initially drawing just a few hundred protesters to
demonstrations in the eastern city of Dresden before gaining strength,
peaking with rallies of 25,000 people.

Interest subsequently began to wane following
overtly racist comments by founder Lutz Bachmann, and the surfacing of
"selfies" in which he sported a Hitler moustache and hairstyle.

But PEGIDA has seen a revival with the record influx of migrants to Germany.

Friday, January 08, 2016

The BNP is removed from the official list of political parties after
its vote collapsed by 99.7 per cent and it failed to pay £25 fee

In 2009 the far right party had two MEPs and more than 50 councillors

But in 2015 it mustered just eight candidates at the general election

The party collapsed amid infighting, including the expulsion of Nick Griffin

The Electoral Commission has now removed them from the official list

BNP claims it will submit the paperwork within days to get back on register

+3

Following the ruling, the BNP name and logo can no longer appear on ballot papers

The
BNP has been removed from the official list of political parties after
failing to renew its registration with the Electoral Commission - a
process which would have cost just £25.

It
means the party name and logo cannot appear next to any candidate on
any ballot paper on election day - but the party blamed a 'clerical
error' which would be corrected.

The
far right party has collapsed in recent years and stood just eight
candidates at the 2015 general election - all unsuccessfully as the
party's national vote share dived by 99.7 per cent.

The
Electoral Commission said today all parties have a maximum of six
months from the deadline for submission of their account to re-register
as a party.

This date passed for the BNP yesterday meaning it can no longer stand party candidates.

The
Electoral Commission said: 'The Electoral Commission did not receive
the notification by this date and is required by law to remove the BNP
from its register of political parties in Great Britain.

Now
that the party has been removed from the register, BNP candidates
cannot, at present, use the party's name, descriptions or emblems on the
ballot paper at elections.

'The
party can, however, submit an application to re-register at any time
and their name, descriptions and emblems are protected under PPERA for
two years to prevent other parties using them.

'Any
application will be considered by the Commission in line with its usual
processes for assessing new applications to register political
parties.'

BNP
spokesman Stephen Squire said it was a 'clerical error on our part' and
that the party would submit the necessary paperwork within the next few
days.

'It's
a little bit embarrassing,' he said, but insisted it would be 'business
as usual' for the party, which intended to contest the London mayoral
election and some council seats.

He added: 'We've been overwhelmed by the number of phone calls we've had from people concerned we might be disappearing.'

In
October 2014, the BNP announced ex-leader Nick Griffin, 55, had been
'expelled from membership' amid claims that he had attempted to cause
'disunity' within the party.

In
a damning letter, Adam Walker, the current BNP chairman, alleged that
Mr Griffin had attempted to spread 'lies' about the party and had
'harrass[ed]' current members.

An
hour and a half after the statement was released on the party's website,
the former politician, who had led the BNP for 15 years, took to
Twitter to speak out against the decision.

He
wrote: 'Breaking news! I've just been 'expelled' without trial from the
#BNP! That'll teach me to tell a member of staff he's a 'useless, lazy
t***'.'

Moments
later, he compared the BNP to the former Sovet Union tweeting: 'Only
thing is that the ruling Wigton Soviet are operating outside the
constitution so I shall ignore their plastic gangster games.'

Mr
Griffin stepped down from his leadership of the BNP in July this year,
after losing his seat as an MEP, but was given an honorary title of
President. He had declared bankruptcy months before leaving the group.

The Electoral Commission today confirmed the BNP's removal from the official register of political parties on Twitter

+3

Despite the ruling, an account purporting to represent the BNP was still recruiting for members today

In
1997 he was handed a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of
inciting racial hatred. Mr Griffin was ousted from the party following a
review by its conduct committee.

Mr
Jefferson, a member of the committee who did not provide his first
name, said: 'This has been a difficult decision to make and not one
taken lightly.

'Although
we all appreciate that Nick has achieved a lot for our Party in the
past, we must also remember that the Party is bigger than any
individual.

'Nick
did not adjust well to being given the honourary title of President and
it soon became obvious that he was unable to work as an equal member of
the team and alarmingly his behaviour became more erratic and
disruptive.'

Earlier
in 2014, former leader Mr Griffin had lost his seat in the European
Parliament and the party was reduced to just two local councillors.

It
had stood 330 candidates at the 2010 election following a decade when
it appeared it had made a 'breakthrough', securing a London Assembly
seat and more than 50 local councillors.

Political parties are legally required to renew their registration every year, including a fee of £25.

Ex-leader Nick Griffin lost his
European Parliament seat in 2014 and was expelled from the party later
that year. The BNP vote collapsed by 99.7 per cent at the 2015 general
election

New defence shadow minister Emily Thornberry accepted £14,500 from law firm which sued British troops

David Cameron says Labour MP has "questions to answer" over donations from the
firm, which has been accused of making false claims that British soldiers
were involved in torture and murder in Iraq

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Emily Thornberry

Labour's new shadow defence
secretary Emily Thornberry received donations from a law firm which was
condemned over false claims British soldiers were involved in torture
and murder in Iraq.

David
Cameron has said there are "questions to answer" over Ms Thornberry's
links with the firm after a Conservative MP branded the lawyers
"immoral, thieving and ambulance chasing".

Jeremy Corbyn's new frontbench appointment accepted £14,500 from Leigh
Day & Co, which is now facing disciplinary action after allegations
it made were found to be "wholly and entirely without merit" by the
Al-Sweady inquiry.

Will my Right Honourable Friend agree with me that it's more than a
matter of regret that the new shadow secretary of state for defence has
seen fit to take a donation from the immoral, thieving and ambulance
chasing lawyers Leigh Day, who together with public interest lawyers
specialise in hounding our brave service personal in Iraq on spurious
claims

Conservative MP Stewart Jackson

Lawyers at the firm could be struck off
after the investigation found that a key document at the centre of the
inquiry was shredded. Leigh Day was also accused of "deliberate and
calculated lies".
The donation to Miss Thornberry in December 2014 was to fund a legal research assistant for her office.
The issue has sparked concern among Labour MPs and came as shadow
defence minister Kevan Jones resigned and shadow foreign affairs
minister Stephen Doughty also decided to leave the front bench just
before Prime Minister's Questions began. The Prime Minister has warned there are "questions to answer" Photo: AFP/Getty Images
Conservative MP Stewart Jackson said: "Will my Right Honourable Friend
agree with me that it's more than a matter of regret that the new shadow
secretary of state for defence has seen fit to take a donation from the
immoral, thieving and ambulance chasing lawyers Leigh Day, who together
with public interest lawyers specialise in hounding our brave service
personal in Iraq on spurious claims."
Speaking in the House of
Commons Mr Cameron responded that Mr Corbyn has questions to answer over
the appointment. He said: "I do think this organisation Leigh Day does
have some questions to answer, not least because they were deeply
involved in the al-Sweady inquiry. British troops in Afghanistan
"I do think it is instructive that we have lost a Shadow Secretary of
State for Defence who believed in strong defence and instead we've got
someone apparently who takes funds from Leigh Day and that leaves us
with serious questions.
"We will be left with a collection of
politicians who've signed up to unilateral nuclear disarmament, who have
signed up to racking up taxes debt and spending."
Asked what
people in the Armed Forces will make of Thornberry's links with the law
firm, a Labour spokesman said: "I don't think it's relevant. Emily is a
very capable shadow defence secretary."

End witch-hunt of our soldiers: Fury as 'ambulance-chasing' lawyers
try to prosecute UK's Iraq heroes - and are handed taxpayers' millions
to do it

Mark Warwick who heads the unit said soldiers could see murder charges

13,000 veterans have now joined organisation to campaign against action

The
legal ‘witch-hunt’ against UK troops who served in Iraq could cost
taxpayers tens of millions of pounds and drag on for years.

War
heroes, military families and politicians last night called for
‘ambulance-chasing’ lawyers to stop harassing soldiers who had simply
been doing their duty.

The
Government set aside £57million five years ago for the investigation of
152 allegations of ill treatment and unlawful killing of civilians.

+7

The legal
‘witch-hunt’ against UK troops who served in Iraq could cost taxpayers
tens of millions of pounds and drag on for years. Above, British
soldiers fire rubber bullets in Basra in 2003

Now the number of cases being examined by the 145-strong Iraq Historical Allegations Team has passed the 1,500 mark.

Despite
no one being convicted, Mark Warwick, who heads the unit, says it has
been ‘overwhelmed with cases’ and murder charges could result.

As the outcry over the treatment of troops who risked their lives on the frontline grows, the Daily Mail can reveal that:

The MoD pays an Iraqi agent nearly £40,000 a year to help the families of supposed victims;

His son says up to 20 new clients come forward each week hoping to sue the UK Government;

The cases go to British-based law firms which are receiving legal aid payments;

An accused ex-soldier says he has been hounded for 12 years and ‘left to rot’ by the Army;

Hundreds of veterans and their families will march to Westminster tomorrow to call for an immediate end to the harassment.

Ian
Sadler, a former soldier whose son Jack was killed in Afghanistan in
2007, said: ‘How can they spend so much money on these spurious legal
claims, which are being pursued by ambulance-chasing law firms in this
country to get Iraqis compensation?

'This is a witch-hunt with a crock of gold at the end of the rainbow for these law firms.’

Colonel
Bob Stewart, a Tory MP on the Commons defence committee, said: ‘Not
only do we have civilian battlefield ambulance chasers, we now have MoD
battlefield ambulance chasers. I’m fed up with our soldiers being chased
and harassed and intimidated after they have put their lives on the
line.

‘And for our country to be taking part in this witch-hunt is despicable.’

+7

Despite no one being convicted, Mark
Warwick, pictured, who heads the unit, says it has been ‘overwhelmed
with cases’ and murder charges could result

The
Iraq Historical Allegations Team was set up by the Ministry of Defence
in 2010 after a flood of claims from Iraq were submitted by Public
Interest Lawyers and Leigh Day.

Mr
Warwick, a former police officer, believes there is enough evidence for
successful prosecutions – leading to an outcry among soldiers who say
they are now constantly looking over their shoulders. There are 2,360
claims overall by Iraqi civilians against the MoD from the five-year
mission – a figure which continues to rise. There are also nearly 100
claims from Afghanistan and mounting investigations against troops who
served in Northern Ireland.

Last
night it emerged that 13,000 veterans and their families have joined an
organisation called UK veterans, One Voice, to campaign for former
soldiers facing arrest.

The
organisation, founded by former private Nigel Kelsall, who completed
tours of Northern Ireland and Bosnia, will take part in the march
tomorrow.

The
41-year-old father of one, who was a private in the Royal Logistical
Corps, said: ‘No soldier should have to go through the ordeal of being
questioned years later.

‘The Government needs to put an end to this. These men are just doing their job and to prosecute troops is wrong.’

Former
private Robert Gray, 61, who served with the Duke of Wellington’s
regiment in the 1970s in Northern Ireland, said: ‘This is British
soldiers doing their jobs and then being called murderers.’

Felicity
Sayers, who served in the Royal Navy and whose husband was in the Black
Watch in the 1970s, said: ‘It is absolutely ridiculous that our men and
women are trained to fight an enemy and then are hung out to dry when
they do.’ Mrs Sayers, 55, from Lincoln, said her husband was expecting
to be questioned about his role in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

Plymouth
MP Johnny Mercer, who served in Afghanistan, said it was important for
soldiers to operate within the rule of law. But he added: ‘At the same
time, it would be the easiest thing in the world in Iraq or Afghanistan
to go out and find people who say they were harmed by coalition forces
of any flag.’

An
MoD spokesman said last night: ‘The vast majority of UK service
personnel deployed on military operations conduct themselves
professionally and in accordance with the law.

‘The
MoD takes all allegations of abuse or unlawful killing extremely
seriously. Where there is sufficient evidence, members of HM Forces can
be prosecuted. It is estimated that the IHAT’s work will take until the
end of 2019.’

MoD pays Iraqi agent £40,000 a year to gather evidence against OUR soldiers

By LARISA BROWN

An
Iraqi agent is being paid nearly £40,000 a year by the Ministry of
Defence to help the families of suspected insurgents killed by British
soldiers.

Abu
Jamal, 59, earns up to £3,200 a month – plus expenses – from the MoD to
take statements from witnesses and ferry them to Lebanon to give
evidence via video link to the Iraq Historical Allegations Team.

On
top of his work for the MoD, a grieving widow claimed he knocked on her
door persuading her to claim compensation from the British government.

Her
husband’s death is one of more than 1,000 claims of wrongdoing and
unlawful detention which Abu Jamal has handed over to Public Interest
Lawyers and Leigh Day over the past decade.

+7

Abu Jamal, 59, earns up to £3,200 a
month – plus expenses – from the MoD to take statements from witnesses
and ferry them to Lebanon to give evidence via video link to the Iraq
Historical Allegations Team. He is pictured with his son Jamal
Alshiraida, who also helps with the compensation claims

The
Daily Mail tracked down the father of one to his office in Basra,
southern Iraq, where he is now so busy he gets up to 20 new clients a
week. He has recruited his son, Jamal Alshiraida, 28, and another
colleague, Abu Zaid, to help with all the paperwork.

The
family firm is known across the city for its success in helping Iraqi
civilians win millions of pounds in compensation from the Ministry of
Defence.

Speaking
from Basra, Mr Alshiraida told the Mail they also worked for PIL and
Leigh Day. He said: ‘I enjoy my job because of the treatment we get from
the British. They have good lawyers in Britain.

‘I
send emails and print documents. We have more than 1,000 clients, maybe
we will get about ten, 20 more people this week. There are lots. They
tell us about how they were detained by the British.’

It is unclear, however, how much PIL or Leigh Day pay Abu Jamal or whether he is on commission.

Figures
show there are 2,360 outstanding claims of all sorts by Iraqi civilians
against the MoD from the five-year war – a figure which continues to
rise.

We
have more than 1,000 clients, maybe we will get about ten, 20 more
people this week. There are lots. They tell us about how they were
detained by the British

Jamal Alshiraida

Mr
Alshiraida’s comments will fuel fears that there are thousands more
claims to come as Iraqi civilians hear about successful cases heard in
the UK.

The department has paid out £22million in compensation to Iraqi civilians.

Last
month the grieving widow of Muhammad Salim, who was shot during an
arrest operation in November 2003, revealed that she was approached by
Abu Jamal weeks after his death.

Her testimony suggests a close connection with Birmingham-based PIL, which used Abu Jamal.

When
Mr Alshiraida was asked how he and his father found the Iraqis claiming
to have been victims of mistreatment by troops, he said: ‘Always they
come to the office in Basra.’

His
father, who lives in the centre of the port city, refused to comment on
whether he approached clients or whether they came to him.

In a statement, PIL said Abu Jamal was not known to the law firm in 2004 and PIL did not tout for business.

But Mr Alshiraida said he and his father had been working for the firm in 2004.

‘In 2004 he rang them,’ he replied, when asked how his father first contacted PIL.

Over
the years, Abu Jamal has become so popular with alleged Iraqi victims
that all those represented by PIL ‘insist on dealing with him’, a source
said.

This
has meant the Iraq Historical Allegations Team investigating wrongdoing
by British troops has been forced to use the Iraqi as a paid chaperone
for victims and witnesses.

Responding
to a complaint that PIL used an agent, Mr Shiner’s lawyers claimed that
that the MoD ‘routinely use Abu Jamal’ and pay him up to 5,000 US
dollars a month plus expenses.

Both IHAT and the MoD did not comment on the figure.

I
was cleared TWICE but the lawyers are still hounding me, says war hero:
Decorated soldier says he was 'left to rot' over death of Iraqi
civilian armed with an AK-47

By LARISA BROWN

A
decorated soldier says he was ‘left to rot’ while lawyers hounded him
over the death of an Iraqi civilian 12 years ago. Richard Catterall
believed the suspect, who was armed with an AK-47, was threatening the
lives of his comrades.

Two
inquiries cleared the former sergeant of unlawfully shooting Muhammad
Salim dead only for him to now face a third investigation. Suffering
from post-traumatic stress disorder, he has repeatedly begged to be left
alone to the point that investigators apparently feared he would take
his own life.

The
father of two, who was medically discharged from the Army in 2014 after
serving 23 years, said the latest investigation was the ‘final nail in
the coffin’.

+7

Decorated soldier Richard Catterall,
pictured with his two daughters, says he was ‘left to rot’ while lawyers
hounded him over the death of an Iraqi civilian 12 years ago

The
46-year-old waived his right to anonymity after the Daily Mail revealed
last month that Mr Salim’s widow had been persuaded by an agent used by
a British law firm to make the claim that he was unlawfully killed.

Mr
Catterall said he had thrown his medals from his five tours of Northern
Ireland, two tours of Iraq and one tour of Afghanistan in the bin
because he been made to feel ashamed of his life of service. Speaking
from his small terraced home in Liverpool, he said: ‘The Army have just
hung me out to dry.’

Mr
Catterall, who is struggling financially, said: ‘I am at my wits’ end. I
have a lot to cope with and I just feel like I am going backwards.

‘I fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and now I’m scared to go out into the street. I tried to tell them how sick I was.

‘This
latest hearing has been the final nail in the coffin. I’ve got worse
since this started, I’ve isolated myself even more over the last couple
of months.

In
a gruelling six-month tour of Iraq in 2003 one bloody firefight lead to
Mr Catterall being handed a baby whose arm had been blasted off.
Despite his efforts the child died in his arms.

Days later he was on patrol in Basra when he shot Mr Salim in the stomach during an arrest operation.

+7

Mr Catterall,
pictured fourth from left, was medically discharged from the Army in
2014 after serving 23 years and said the latest investigation was the
‘final nail in the coffin’

British
soldiers had been acting on information given to them that up to 15
armed men had been seen entering a property in the port.

As they arrived at the address they heard five rounds of gunfire and were confronted by two armed men.

Mr
Catterall shot one of them, believing Mr Salim to be an insurgent and
about to shoot. The Iraqi was treated by a combat medic but he died from
his injuries in hospital the following day.

It
later emerged that the information given to the Army had been wrong,
and Mr Salim was a civilian carrying an AK-47 for his own safety.

Shooting someone is no easy thing to do and I’ve never got over it

Richard Catterall

Mr
Catterall said he shot in self-defence thinking his life and those of
his comrades were in danger. He said he had followed the rules of
engagement.

A
military investigation at the time and a separate eight-month
investigation carried out by the Iraq Historical Allegations Team
cleared him of any wrongdoing. IHAT quizzed Mr Catterall after being
handed statements by Phil Shiner’s Public Interest Lawyers and obtained
from Mr Salim’s widow and others.

Exonerating
him, a review concluded: ‘The IHAT have investigated the resulting
allegation of unlawful killing and after careful consideration ... it
has been decided that there is no evidence to suggest the soldier was
not acting in self defence.’

Mr
Catterall said: ‘I thought it was all done with and I tried to get on
with my life. The incident was one of the traumas I have been dealing
with, with combat stress. Shooting someone is no easy thing to do and
I’ve never got over it.’

But
in September he was contacted by Iraq Fatality Investigations, an
inquest-style inquiry set up in response to yet more PIL claims on
behalf of the family now seeking compensation. He said: ‘They said they
would like to question me again.

‘They asked me to go to London and I said I couldn’t do that because I was agoraphobic.

‘They knew I was suffering and I told them I didn’t want to do it but they said it would be hanging over my head if I didn’t.’

+7

+7

Mr
Catterall said he shot in self-defence thinking his life and those of
his comrades were in danger. He said he had followed the rules of
engagement

Mr
Catterall was questioned twice by the inquiry chairman, Sir George
Newman, through a video link from his home, before he was asked to give
evidence in front of Mr Salim’s family.

‘I
said to them on the phone, I’m not prepared to go for more
questioning,’ he said. ‘Then I put the phone down and later that evening
two policemen came to check I was still alive. I said I wasn’t very
well. I explained how I wasn’t well. Obviously the man from the inquiry
was so concerned that he sent the police that night to make sure I was
OK.

‘And even after all of that I was still strongly encouraged to go and do the interview with the Iraqi families.’

In
November Mr Catterall, whose marriage ended the month before, gave
evidence to the inquiry via video link from Liverpool under the cipher
S011 which gave him anonymity.

He
said he was ‘deeply, deeply sorry for the family’, telling the inquiry:
‘If I could change anything and go back in time, I’d do it and I’m
sorry.’ Mr Salim’s family said they did not accept his apology because
he had been reckless.

The
soldiers who were with him at the time supported his version of events.
Despite his service with the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, Mr Catterall
said he had been refused help from the Army which ‘wanted nothing’ to
do with him.

He said he had contacted his regimental association to ask for help – but it declined.

He
said: ‘I was loyal to the Army for 20 odd years and I don’t want to
start looking like I’m disloyal to them but they’ve shown me no loyalty
over the past few years.

‘I
understand I had to be brought to account for my actions but to be
brought to account so many times on so many different occasions was a
massive kick in the teeth.’

He said one of his daughters had taken his medals out of the bin and framed them for him and hung them on his wall.

Mr
Catterall was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and
agoraphobia in 2011, a year after falling ill with a severe neck injury
from excessive weight carrying in the Army.

He
said: ‘I think about what happened when I had the injury to my neck and
when I was put at home. I was just left there to rot.’

His
case is understood to have been passed to the International Criminal
Court, which usually tries dictators accused of genocide.

ICC
prosecutors have refused to grant the soldiers involved in the death of
Mr Salim immunity from fresh charges, which raises the prospect of Mr
Catterall being tried at the Hague.